Mass Effect: Advent of Humanity
by Operative Ghost
Summary: The Systems Alliance emerges onto the galactic scene far earlier than in canon. What effect will Humanity have on the galaxy at this earlier stage? How does the younger Citadel Council and it's affiliates react to their arrival? How does Humanity change the galactic landscape? Not everyone will be content to watch Humanity claim what could instead be theirs.
1. Chapter One - First Contact

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. It's unique universe belongs to Bioware and EA respectively. This isn't written for the goal of financial gain, just to express my thoughts and views on a different version of Mass Effect.**

**Authors Note: **Hello there, it's been a while since I first put my prologue to this story out there. To be honest it was more of a preview and I didn't even execute that very well. But without further ado I am starting my progress on this story post haste after much procrastination.

**- /\/\/\ - **

**Advent of Humanity**

**Chapter One – First Contact**

_2162_

_Lieutenant Jason Moore, First Contact Team_

The shuttle ride down to the planet below was tense.

Everyone was silent. Perhaps out of fear. It was a common reaction that we Humans had when encountering anything unknown to us. As I looked around the cramped shuttle area I could see my four fellow marines sitting in contemplation just as I am. Each checking their gear to ensure it's reliability.

Each of us are wearing our standard issue, military grade hard suits. The most advanced personal protection system designed to date by mankind. I tapped at my omni-tool ensuring that my kinetic barriers are functioning correctly.

_- Kinetic Barriers at 100%_

I pulled my side-arm from it's magnetic holster on the right side of my hip, I look it over ensuring that it is ready for use should I need it. I took a deep breath, I myself having this unshakable feeling building up in my chest and throat. The immense weight of the situation being thrust upon me and my makeshift first contact team.

A week ago the SSV Novus E-57 an explorer vessel, the 57th of her class designed solely for exploration of new star systems, entered this system. The Novus spent the next few days searching the system for anything of value. A single gas giant with a large moon system in it's orbit alongside four terrestrial planets in the inner solar system were discovered. Using it's vast array of probes it begun to scan for valuable materials and resources. Aside from discovering a system rich in titanium, the second planet from the main sequence yellow-dwarf star had serious potential for colonization.

The planet itself contained an atmosphere of mostly oxygen and nitrogen which are vital for Human habitation. Unfortunately it also contained a lethal level of carbon monoxide. If a Human attempted to breathe on the surface without air filters it would be like sucking on a car exhaust from the 21st century. The planet held a strong magnetic field hinting at an active molten core. It lacked any signs of life, being more akin to a barren rock. Fortunately from the initial scans of the systems asteroid belt we detected plenty of water-ice comets that could be put to use in creating a garden world. An atmosphere processor would need to be set up to tame the atmosphere to ease colonisation.

Overall, the planet was very promising. Initial predictions dictate it could be as little as two decades before the atmosphere is breathable. A little longer and it could also hold vast bodies of water not to different than Earth.

_One can dream anyway_,_ it would probably end up something like four decades until work was finished._

Not long after marking various sites across the system and grading them on their approximate mass and difficulty of extraction did a probe detect an unknown vessel in the system. Once that news hit the bridge it was almost like being in a deserted town for a solid five minutes. Even though we had first contact procedures to follow and protocol to dictate us along the way, I think we were just shocked at the realisation.

We were not alone, but _they're __right __here_!

The captain begun to follow protocol. She was greatly tempted to send a comms burst back to the nearest outpost but protocol dictated we do not antagonise or scare the beings to the best of our ability. That in mind we were not allowed to send said message until we observed that they had done the same. Minutes passed as both the Novus and the alien craft of similar size awaited the other to make the first step.

While the Novus sent a comms burst containing first contact handshakes and limited information that could hopefully provide a form of communication, the alien vessel emitted a comms burst. Upon a hunch, one of the communication officers traced the transmission. The signal was sent to a nearby star system, relatively speaking.

I actually exhaled sharply, releasing air I didn't realise I was holding, when he reasoned they were alerting their superiors of the situation.

The captain took that as the opportunity to send her own message back to command.

- First Contact Initiated -

The message was simple and straight forward. The Novus had sent routine messages once they had surveyed a system. Contained within this message was also the Novus' current location.

_Couldn't hurt to be cautious I suppose_

It didn't take as long as we thought for the alien vessel to respond to our data package. They responded in kind by sending their first contact package. The egg heads immediately set themselves to work trying to decipher the information held within. Alas, even with a VI suite aiding them they were not making fast progress . . . or slow progress for that matter.

Initial attempts to understand the coding inside the package proved a failure for hours. During that time neither the Novus or the alien vessel had moved from their positions, the aliens seemingly as interested in staying in contact with us as we are with them. It was hounding the analysts that they could not make any progress on the information and the captain as less that joyful about it.

But the key to the package wasn't really the coding at all. It turned out to be the basic mathematics used by the alien race. Where Humanity had adapted using ten as the basic set of numbers, which dictated pretty much the rest of human mathematics, we had no clue as to what basic set the aliens used but it definitely wasn't ten.

I took a quick look around at the other marines in the shuttle, leaving my train of thought for a moment. Seeing Corporal Jones leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his Lancer assault rifle between his legs with the butt on the floor. I Couldn't make out his facial expression through the slim visor, but I could see a little bit of sweat roll between his eyes. I caught his attention and gave him a curt nod, to which he returned. Even a little gesture can mean a lot in strange situations.

"_Sixty__ seconds until touch down"_ stated the Pilot calmly through our hard suit radios.

It terrifies me that in just sixty seconds I will be representing my species in this meeting. But I find solace by hoping that who or what ever I'm meeting is feeling just the same. I stand up and grab a bar overhead to help keep me on my feet as the shuttle moves, my escort mirroring the same.

_Back to my previous trail of thought_

Turns out that the aliens must have two fingers and a thumb on each hand, that is if they are anything similar to us. The analysts begun to make quick progress through the unsecured package as they begun to disseminate the knowledge within. If the translation is even roughly right, then these beings are roughly the same size as us and their body shape is humanoid. They have two horns I think on the top of their heads and are rather slim looking. I think one of the egg heads mentioned they were also reptiles . . . or amphibians.

Not long after that they sent a small message using our base set for their code.

They wanted to make an exchange and if they composed the message correctly it wasn't anything major. Just a gesture of good faith. After confirming that we were up to it the Captain and who ever is in charge over there agreed to 0700 hours the next morning. Bringing my line of though full circle up to this current moment. I was picked by the Captain to make physical first contact and carry a package for delivery.

I tapped at my lower backside to double check the package was still there, just in case it has decided to detach from the magnetic holster there. With a little sigh of relief I postured myself for what will likely be the most memorable moment of my life.

_So far anyway_

"Thirty seconds" came the Pilot's curt update

"You boys ready for the only thing you will _ever_ be proud of in your life?" I say jokingly, trying to elicit a response from my men.

"Sir yes sir!" they chat in sync with one another, obviously letting the banter slide

"Uh huh damn right you are!" I turn around to face them "Maybe this story gets you a little somethin' when we get home huh?" the suggestion clearly not lost on them.

"Damn right sir" replied Private Jenkins a little too enthusiastically.

I seize the opportunity to raise their spirits a bit as I turn back to Jenkins.

"I didn't mean at the gay bar" in truth it isn't a prejudiced statement, just a joke to make them laugh a bit.

"Ha ha screw you _sir_" came his quick response.

"You're lucky, the last time someone said screw you sir they actually got to" I reply with a little grin on my face, to which Jenkins didn't know how to respond. "Of course she was better looking than you private"

Good thing fraternisation rules are less stringent in the Alliance, or I'd probably have been disciplined for that. Such is the banter between people who live a life in the military. Banter is probably the only thing that is truly in over-abundance. Before anyone could get another word in the pilot cut in.

"_Five . . .four . . . three . . . two . . . one"_

The shuttle gently rocked as it levelled out to land.

"_Touchdown, good luck out there boys"_

I quickly raise my right hand to the right side of my helmet.

"Thanks, keep this bucket of rust ready would'ya?"

"_Will do, over and out"_

The side door to the shuttle hisses as it opens and our eyes are met with the dirty barren wasteland before us. I step out first, followed quickly by Jones, Jenkins, Xhang and then King. We quickly take in our surroundings. We had looked at the area on a holographic map aboard the Novus before hand. But as military training will demonstrate to you, nothing is a substitute for the real thing. We are in a very exposed position on a plateau. Little to no cover besides our shuttle and small rock formations all over the place. The only thing worth mentioning is the mountain range to the east which looks really imposing right now. Looked a lot smaller from space

In truth that's because we left a little early.

Noticing a rock formation just close to the LZ I signal the men to follow. I walk over and take a seat, watching my men do the same with the exception they check the perimeter for signs of life. King is the last one to take a seat.

"_Lieutenant, alien shuttle has departed the main vessel, on it's way to you now" _informed the Pilot

A shiver climbs my spine quickly but I don't show any signs of it to the group.

"Copy that Sierra One" I reply as I snap my fingers to get the attention of the guys.

Their heads perk up to face me.

"Okay let's go over this one more time marines" I say as I lean forward into the centre of the rocks.

"When the shuttle is within eyesight we will form a line just here beside the rock formation" taking time to pause before continuing.

"I will be in the centre and you will follow _my_ lead" I order.

"No stepping out of line, no speaking unless spoken to understood?" I quiz as I look at all four of them.

"I will initiate contact and proceed with the exchange, you guys will watch for any signs of suspicious behaviour but you will _not_ fire unless fired upon" I wait for any concerns to be voiced. Thankfully, my men know I'm in my no-bullshit mood.

"No threatening or obscene gestures, just stand at ease until I order you otherwise-"

Just mid sentence we hear a sonic boom as the shuttle rapidly descends from the sky.

"Alright, shows about to start, move it lads" I order as I pick myself up from the rock and quickly pace over to the standing position.

Xhang and King fall in on my left with Jones and Jenkins on my right. I take a quick look and see that they are in perfect drill positions. Equal distance between us all, standing at ease with their Lancers across their chests. The butt in their right shoulder higher than the barrel which is pointed to the dusty ground to their lower left. I keep my Kessler in it's holster on my hip as per instructions.

The alien first contact team should be in the same format as us. Four escorts and one leader to do the exchange on this neutral ground, so to speak. The shuttle came within about sixty metres of us and our shuttle, kicking up swathes of dust in every direction as it's thrusters stabilised the vehicles landing.

Other than my hairs being on their absolute ends in anticipation of this event, I could only think of how the decontamination VI is going to throw a fit at the dust we will be bringing back. As the dust settled we set our eyes upon the alien craft which appeared sleeker than our own yet had a distinct utilitarian feel to it. A part of the hull hissed loudly as it pressed out in our direction before sliding across the hull to allow the alien team their exit.

They stepped out one by one, in sterile white uniforms which look as though they are quite advanced. I can only assume that they must also be hard suits. Best to expect the worst that way you won't be surprised. As they formed a line similar to our own and slowly begun to approach I could begin to make out significant details.

The centre figure or rather the being who I'm going to be shaking hands with, has a secondary red colour in a single stripe on each part of his suit. The rest all have a secondary colour of orange. Each of the alien escorts are sporting what I assume are rifles but of a slimmer design. Probably following the design pattern I've begun to notice. The alien vessel is sleek, their shuttle is sleek and their suits are slim just in concert with their creators.

As soon as they get on the five metre mark between us, they halt in unison. As per the instructions from the data bursts between the Novus and the alien vessel up high, I perform what we understand as a formal greeting.

I stand erect, close my right fist except for my thumb, index and middle finger which I keep tight together and point above my head but in a slight indication to them. A brief moment of tense anticipation follows as I hope I did it properly.

To my great relief, the leader responds in kind and lowers his or her arm first. To which I follow too. At that point I begun to pace forward slowly and it did the same. Our gaze or rather my gaze, as I couldn't see through their black polarised visor, never left its. I didn't want to give the creature the false impression that I might be intimidated, scared maybe but not intimidated. We came to a stop as we came to close proximity to one another. As rehearsed I held out my hand to the being, ready to perform the most historical handshake in Human history. But as I held it there the alien tilted it's head to the side slightly.

_Was it confused?_

Slowly the creature mimicked my movement but stopped just short of touching my hand. I grasped his hand to which must have been a little strange as the creature slightly recoiled from the physical contact. For a moment I wasn't sure if I had offended the being or committed a crime, but it composed itself very quickly as I shook it's hand and let go. Hopefully the long used human gesture wasn't too strange to the alien as it's probably going to see more use in the near future. I noticed that it's escort had also become visibly uncomfortable as I initiated the handshake, looking in my direction.

_Perhaps it's considered a hostile gesture wherever they're from?_

After I brought my hands up slowly almost as if I was under arrest but it was to show the alien that I mean no harm as I grab the package. I move my left hand and grasp the metal package, slowly pulling out of the magnetic holsters grip and presenting it outwards to the being in front of me. Inside were samples of food from Earth, a copy of every language known to mankind and a small pack of medi-gel. Food, a healing agent and knowledge. Gifts of this sort were customary throughout human history so hopefully it would suffice. It also sends a better picture than giving the weapons. The alien grasps the handle on top of the vacuum sealed metal case and places it on the floor beside its feet.

_Now your turn_

It raises its hands in the same fashion I had, slowly reaching for the case I see on it's lower back. Presenting it to me but I notice there is no handle.

_Mastered space flight but don't know how to fit a handle on a simple box?_

I take the box from its strange three fingered hands and place it on my lower back. Hearing a little metallic click as it slides into the weapon holster. I wait for it to do the same with its gift before we say our farewell.

Noticing my cue I begin.

"The people of Earth bid you welcome and may our gift help give you knowledge of us so that we may live in peace, together" as I finish a snap to a crisp salute.

On a normal occasion my marines would have done the same, but given the situation I think any brash movement involving a weapon may be considered hostile. The alien seems to nod as if it understood what I have said.

Then it spoke, in a strange series of noises I don't think my mouth could ever hope to make.

"_The Salarian Union bids you welcome, may our people learn from each other and prosper together" _said the leader

A shame I could not understand what he said, but I will in due time. It now performs a very similar salute to the one I had performed moments ago. With our business concluded we could go our separate ways. It took several paces backwards and I mirrored it's movements, once we were back to our respective escorts it stopped and performed the same gesture that I had performed first at the beginning of the meeting.

_It must double as a farewell and a hello_

I mirrored the gesture again and lowered my arm.

"Alright lads, time to go home" I said to them with a sigh of relief as if a huge weight had just been lifted off my shoulders.

"We have some important news to deliver and I don't want to spend another second in this dust bowl"

I swivel on my feet and begun walking towards our shuttle. Taking a look back to see that they were indeed on their way home too. They seem to be quick walkers as they rapidly paced back to their shuttle. The leader stopped at the door just as I neared mine.

"Get in marines, take your seats" I ordered as I motioned for them to get inside

Looking back at the alien I give a nod. I think I see him nod back but I'm not sure. I step inside the shuttle and the door slides shut followed quickly by a loud hiss as the air composition is restored to normal. I twist my helmet slightly and press a pair of buttons down in sync to open my helmet seals. Sliding it off my head I notice the cold air in the shuttle and the warm beads of sweat trailing down the sides of my head.

By far the most tense situation I've ever been in . . . . but no one else will ever be able to claim that story for themselves. A large grin escapes onto my face as I let out a little laugh.

"Well boys, it seems we're gonna be getting friendly with the neighbours soon enough"

They all relax back into their seats, taking their helmets off too, no doubt for some fresh and cool air. Being stuck in a hard suit keeps one warm enough without a situation like that.

There is only one thought stuck in my mind as I relax back into my seat.

_Where do we go from here?_

The shuttle jerked as it begun to lift off, heading back for Novus . . . . and Arcturus station. There is going to be one hell of a debate over there soon enough.

**- /\/\/\ - **

**Authors Note: **So guys what do you think so far eh? Let me know what you think, all reviews are welcome both for praise and criticism. I need both to keep me on my toes. I thought I did this pretty well but I could be easily wrong. Do you guys think this is allowed in the alternate first contact community section or is that reserved for war scenarios only?


	2. Chapter Two - Is It True?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect. It's unique universe belongs to Bioware and EA respectively. This isn't written for the goal of financial gain, just to express my thoughts and views on a different version of Mass Effect.**

**Authors Note: **Hello again.

CobaltAC: Yeah I noticed this trend of first contact being conducted by the Turians mostly, followed by Batarians with little side notes of Asari and Elcor first contact. Surprised I haven't come across a Salarian scenario. But the reasons Salarians are in this portion of the galaxy will become clear later.

Ordo Rolanberry: Your guess is an interesting one. How close you are however is up for debate until you read it in here.

Ravereli: I'm proud my prologue piqued your interest. The prologue has been replaced now with an actual chapter, give that a read through and let me know what you think.

Thank you for those who bothered to review my preview a while back and those who have reviewed the replacement chapter I put up on the 4th April. If you read this chapter and are confused by the sudden turn of events, please go back to chapter one and see that it is no longer a preview.

Sorry if I didn't respond to your review, I don't mean to single people out. It's just I'll be picking a couple to reply to instead of spending ages on replies in an authors note. If I didn't reply to your review then let me know in a pm and I'll be sure to get back to you.

**- /\/\/\ -**

**Advent of Humanity**

**Chapter Two – Is It True?**

_2162 – Two Days Later_

_Admiral Kastanie Drescher _

Two days ago a comms burst came from beyond the Gamma Relay in uncharted space. Usually such a thing wasn't unheard of, there were a total of sixty five ships from the exploration class in service and all of them are the first generation of such ships. These are always operating in unknown space beyond the eyes of civilisation, they are the people who expand the grasp of the Systems Alliance. Each vessel when not out in the great beyond were usually on shore leave or being repaired for minor, or on the rare occasion major damage. Still they would routinely send a comms burst when they have reached a significant milestone in exploring an unknown system, such as scanning a terrestrial planet or marking significant deposits of raw material as a priority for extraction.

The most unnerving and perhaps unnatural comms burst she had seen to date had come back with an encrypted message so that nobody without the proper clearance would be able to read it. But there it was.

- First Contact Initiated -

She didn't have more than sixty seconds before the other three Admirals were calling her for confirmation. Herself and the other Admirals made up the senior leadership of the Systems Alliance, not a single mission went ahead without their approval and all within the Alliance deferred to their judgement. While being at the head of the Systems Alliance they were not a military dictatorship as the Alliance couldn't even be considered a government, that wasn't projected to occur for another few decades or so. The only people the Admirals were answerable to were the governments that fund the organisation and Humanity itself. Of course they had several committee's dedicated to handling some matters for them such as allocation of resources, recruitment for both military and civilian roles they had yet to gain any political clout for the formation of an actual government.

For the entire first day herself and Vice Admiral Meng-Tan Teng, the representative of Chinese interests in the Alliance, were mulling over what little data they had. The SSV Novus had entered the G-07 system just over a week ago, taking it's time to safely explore the system. They sent their first comms burst as they begun the procedure, working from outside the system and step by step explore and scan any and all discovered objects. This method's intended effect is to reduce the chance of missing a planet off the charts, to which it has worked greatly so far. The second burst came in once they had discovered a gas giant roughly the same size as Jupiter, but according to scans contained a significantly higher mass.

After initial scans they begun to investigate the large moon system trapped in it's gravity well. Recording significant deposits of titanium across dozens of moons large enough to be considered dwarf planets were it not for their current entrapment. A total of six large titanium deposits had been marked on one moon alone, enough material wealth to boost the mining economy by a great margin. A couple of days later they moved further in-system, detecting a few terrestrial planets. Three of which were roughly the same size if you gave or took several hundred kilometres. These planets all held little to no atmosphere and also contained even larger deposits of titanium than the gas giants moons but were in a safer environment to extract. It was upon monitoring the fourth planet when a meteor shower struck the planet did the crew trace it's approach vector, retrace it and discovered a significant asteroid field between the gas giant and the inner system.

The planet which held special significance is the second planet from the main sequence yellow-dwarf, which sat firmly deep inside the habitable zone. This planet had a tier two rating for both colonization and terraforming. This meant that the planet was almost ready to support a human population but a few factors prohibit it from garden world status. Turns out the planet is a barren wasteland and that it requires a good amount of work to give it an Earth like environment but a lower effort than a world like Mars or Venus. It holds a strong magnetic field to shield against the solar winds and a dense enough atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen but they weren't the only gases present.

During the last day of the first week in-system, one of their eight probes scanning the asteroid field begun to pick up up a faint signal, which grew stronger as time progressed until it traced the source. Which so happened to be a vessel of unknown design and purpose, quickly deduced to be of extra-terrestrial origin. The crew were correct in their assessment as the vessel made itself known by approaching the SSV Novus but kept itself at a significant distance.

The Captain of the SSV Novus, Maria Stanton, initiated first contact protocols and subsequently ceased communications with the rest of the Alliance, missing several communication windows. Under normal circumstances missing such windows without due cause would be punishable by court martial but given the circumstances such charges would not be right or just. After the alien vessel, which we can only deduce due to it's similar function and design must also be a type of exploration craft, sent a comms burst to an unknown recipient in the designated star system G-27, only the did Captain Stanton send an encrypted burst detailing their current situation.

They proceeded with the standard first contact procedure set up at the formation of the Systems Alliance which was to always offer the hand of peace but to assume hostile intent. Admiral Jonathan Richards, the representative of European Union interests in the Alliance, proposed this method which was then subsequently supported by the rest of the prospective Admirals at the time.

After an entire day of decrypting the information sent over by the alien vessel they had arranged an exchange on the potential garden world below. The Captain agreed to terms set in long and difficult communication attempts but managed to convey the need for an escort of up to four individuals. The entire night before the exchange was filled with constant communication with the aliens as both sides tried to ensure that they understood each others proposals.

The next morning at 0655 hours Lieutenant Jason Moore and his team were sent down to the neutral meeting ground ahead of schedule. Not only does this convey that they hold punctuality high but also for them to _know_ their surroundings. It wouldn't have been excusable if the team had arrived after the unknowns, didn't know the area and were caught off guard by a hostile move.

Still from what the report tells me and from the video documentation from all of the teams helmet cameras, they performed extremely well. The Lieutenant had greeted them properly in their fashion and then proceeded with a hand shake. The alien had seemed to not understand our greeting but we didn't understand their either. This is first contact after all. Analyst Kyle Grayson suggested that when they sent a diagram of the handshake, the aliens may have thought it was an illustration of the two sides exchanging goods. So I suppose the handshake was a little out of t_heir_ plans.

After they bid the aliens farewell and vice versa, the team returned to the Novus with the package and watched as the alien vessel departed for system G-27 utilising an almost exact same method that we use for faster-than-light travel. Scans and readings of the vessel heavily indicated that they use mass effect technology, but not nearly as advanced as the Relay system. That revelation suggests that these beings are not the creators and therefore are perhaps a species observed as we were by the Protheans. All speculation though at the moment. They could very well be beings from another galaxy as we don't know how far the relay system extends.

The Novus departed the system and headed straight here with all haste to deliver the information in person. The package's contents turned out to be rather similar to ours. Food samples, a couple of healing agents and what we are assuming is a codex of their languages. It's a comforting thought to know that mathematics can be used for communication with an alien race. Without it, well they may have well just stared at each other for hours and guessed.

I just couldn't stop pinching my arm to ensure this was real, that I wasn't dreaming.

_Is this real? Is it really true?_

As I tap away at my haptic interface on my desk, a call comes through and I'm not surprised. Intrigued I accept the call.

Admiral Richards took over the holographic screen in front of me, sitting at his own desk with his hands clasped together in front of him and his elbows resting on the desk.

"Admiral Drescher, you're needed at a conference between the Admirals immediately" Richards informs.

The impact of the statement not lost on me, only in serious matters that are of serious concern to the Systems Alliance does the Admiralty gather in one place to discuss in person.

"What is the nature of our meeting?" I ask, trying to gauge a more informative response.

"I'm sure you've heard the news by now?" he asks with a raised eyebrow "The governments of Earth have been informed about first contact early this morning. They are already arguing over who gets to head the diplomacy efforts"

The anger present in his voice as he informs me mirrors my own. In the decade since the discovery of the Prothean ruins we as a species have come into a phase of increased cooperation, economically, politically and even militarily. The Systems Alliance is the embodiment of this progress and it promises us a future we cannot even imagine. The lengths we have gone _already _by working together for such a brief time are proof of this.

"I'll be there shortly" I reply and cut the feed, standing up and pacing quickly to exit my office.

As I leave the door the two marine guards stand at attention.

"You two with me" I order abruptly as I continue striding down the hallway.

The two marines fall in at either side of me quickly after locking my office door. I only had one thought in mind.

_Our progress will not be wasted_

_5 minutes later_

I turned the corner to be met by a series of guards. Upon recognising me they immediately stepped aside and performed a crisp salute. One of them stepped out, a Lieutenant by the looks of it.

"Admiral Drescher ma'am, the Admirals are awaiting your arrival" she stated as she released her salute "Please follow me ma'am"

I gesture to move and follow her making sure to signal my guards to hold their position here with the others. Following the Lieutenant we reach the conference room door momentarily and she swipes her omni-tool over the door's lock, releasing it for me. The red light switches to blue and immediately slides to my left and right and I step through for the door to close behind me.

I'm greeted by the sight of my fellow Admirals all in their respective seats in the circular room. The holographic and haptic displays in the centre of the room displaying a debate between what I assume are different nations on Earth. I quickly pace over to my seat as the other Admirals notice me and stand up to salute . . . to welcome their friend and ally. Once I reach my seat I return the gesture and sit, clasping my hands together on the desk in front of me.

"Admiral Drescher, good of you to join us" I trace the voice back to it's owner to see Rear Admiral Jon Grissom standing at the holographic interface's controls. His little smile greeting me alongside a curt nod.

"Okay, so what's on the agenda?" I ask a little jokingly

"Seeing as how the governments of our parent nations are bickering amongst themselves on how to react to the situation, I decided we must ourselves discuss it too" replies Grissom a matter of factly as he looks back in my direction, taking his eyes off the debate raging elsewhere.

If Jon Grissom is known for anything besides his famous expedition beyond the Sol relay, it is his influence in trying to gain the Alliance some political clout. His methods were admirable and so were his ideas. That is why he managed to pull us together like this, because we actually listened to his advice and counsel.

"So what is our next course of action?" asks Richards as he leans forward, his heavy British accent filling the room.

"Isn't it obvious?" quizzes Vice Admiral Dmitri Petrovsky "We await our instructions from our leaders then we follow them" he gestured to no one in particular as he waved his hand as he finishes his statement.

Dmitri Petrovsky is perhaps the most loyal man I have ever met to his country. It doesn't surprise me that he would reply in this manner. In fact as we are all military, we _should_ be deferring to our individual nations for orders. Such is the weight of Grissoms influence it would seem.

"What and let this opportunity slip by us?" asks Grissom as he faces Petrovsky.

Intrigued is step in.

"What opportunity do you speak of Admiral?" I ask, changing the focus of the conversation.

Grissom sighs heavily, as if some large weight were on his shoulders.

"Our analysts made lightning speed progress on the alien language earlier. Thanks to their device handed over to us at _this_ exchange two days ago" his informative response not wasted on me I motion for him to continue "It also contained a message"

The Admirals looked almost stunned at the answer.

"What does the message contain Admiral?" asks Vice Admiral Teng as he leans forward, obviously interested.

"They would return to the system of first contact in exactly five days to officially greet us and open diplomatic relations with us" stated Grissom as he looks around the room for individual responses to the information.

I remain steadfast in my stone expression.

"Considering that we also transferred them a means to communicate effectively with us in the package we should be taking this very seriously, hell they are back on Earth" he continues

"What are you suggesting Admiral?" asks Richards, encouraging Grissom ahead.

"I'm suggesting that we put forward our own diplomatic team-" he was cut off however

"And turn our backs on our superiors!?" asks Petrovsky a little too venomously.

"No!" His response was quick and effective, silencing Petrovsky from any further remarks.

If this were any other Rear Admiral, Grissom would have been frowned upon for such behaviour.

"If it is left up to them then our progress here" Grissom pointed at the floor, signifying Arcturus station and indeed the Systems Alliance itself "Is wasted, this organisation was formed to provide our united front against any and all alien interactions"

"No one is questioning your point Admiral" states Teng "But who would we send? How do we explain this to our people?"

The question is not a pointless one, it in fact provided a very real problem.

_Who do we send?_

Grissom sighed again.

"We send Anita Goyle, she has been training for possible first contact diplomacy for years and I'm sure as hell not letting that go to waste" he responds, letting his feelings on wasteful effort known "We can finalise the details later but we _must_ work _together_ on this"

We all sat in quiet contemplation for a brief moment. Someone had to speak up I suppose.

"I agree with Rear Admiral Grissom" I quickly drew their attention "What does it say to these beings if we do not work together. . . . united?"

Petrovsky let out a huff of air in contempt at my statement.

"We _should _be following our chain of command" he spat

"Your loyalty is admirable Petrovsky but I agree with Drescher and Grissom" pipes up Richards as he cuts in.

He also garners the attention of Petrovsky and Teng now. Those two visibly unsure with our idea.

"We swore oaths to our respective countries" states Teng "What does it say if pursue Grissoms plan and become oath breakers?"

A valid point. If we did this we would be ignoring the chain of command. In each of our home nations this act would be punished severely if not done for a good enough reason. By death in some cases too.

"We swore oaths to our countries aye" stated Grissom solemnly "But we also swore oats to Humanity, to _all _of our peoples" his eyes meeting Petrovsky's and Teng's.

His question which would either make or break this Alliance was simple.

"_You tell me which oath you believe deserves greater loyalty"_

Minutes passed as we let our allies think it through. The intensity of the air seemed to increase exponentially as I hope that they see reason here.

.

.

.

"I agree with Admiral Grissom" stated Teng with a stone cold expression, his decision clearly weighing on him heavily.

All eyes slowly drift over to Petrovsky who by all means is clearly outnumbered in this unofficial vote.

"We need absolute unity for this to work Admiral" hounds Grissom, intent on keeping this decision under wraps for the moment.

Petrovsky releases a large sigh, one of defeat.

"You're right Admiral, my loyalty is to my people but now also to yours" he faces Grissom's stare equally, not faltering for a brief moment. "_Our _people will answer their call"

It wasn't set in stone. . . .yet.

But our Alliance is secured for the moment. All we need is to carve this into a political victory and perhaps I may be hoping too greatly. Perhaps we can finally create a true united front in all fields for Humanity to succeed.

_We'll find out soon enough_

**- /\/\/\ - **

**Author's Note: **Hopefully this will shed some light on the inner workings of the Alliance in it's early stage and the turmoil created by first contact. Do let me know how well this was received, or how badly. This is now in the first contact war community so hopefully I can convey my point across.

That first contact doesn't always have to be about war, the Turians, general stupidity and the evil council. But perhaps we will have to wait and see for what's in store eh?

Operative Ghost


End file.
